Student musicians in Stoughton, Canton, and Norwood have picked up a variety of awards.
Five Stoughton public school music students have been selected to perform with the 2008 Southeast District concert band, jazz band, and orchestra at Barnstable High School. The students are David Morris, Nicholas Silveira, and Jack Pombriant, jazz band; Peter Griffin, concert band; and Kendall Bennett, orchestra.
The Norwood High School Mustang Marching Band won a gold meal in Division IV of the New England Scholastic Band Association's finals, and a gold in the Massachusetts Instrumental and Choral Conductors Association finals.
Catherine Song, 10, of Canton, a student at Sharon Music Academy, performed Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Maryland Youth Symphony this fall, an honor she earned by winning the 22d International Young Artists Piano Competition.
FUND-RAISER FOR AFGHANISTAN: Razia Jan of Marshfield has received the 2007 Woman of Excellence award from Germaine Lawrence Inc., a group that recognizes women who have contributed to improving the lives of young women.
She aims to do just that with the creation of a school to educate young women in her native Afghanistan.
Jan, 63, owner of Razia's Tailors and Cleaners in Duxbury, is spearheading a drive to raise money for the Zabuli School in Kabul, slated to open in March and provide free education for girls. It is named for the late Abdul Majid Zabuli, a businessman and philanthropist who was committed to improving education in his homeland.
"When I grew up there, I was privileged to go to school, but now girls there are really suffering from discrimination, it's very hard for them to get an education," said Jan.
A fund-raiser for the school is scheduled for Sunday at the Duxbury Performing Arts Center, hosted by the Duxbury Rotary Club, of which Jan has been president. Highlight of the night is the scheduled appearance of Khaled Hosseini, author of the best-selling novels "The Kite Runner" and "A Thousand Splendid Suns," both Afghanistan-based works.
Tickets are $50, $100, $150 and $200. For information and ticket purchase, visit thezabulischool.org or duxburyrotary.com/KR2007/ppal/pp.html
CAREGIVERS HONORED: Four people from south of Boston have been honored as Family Caregivers by the Massachusetts Family Caregiver Program in the state Executive Office of Elder Affairs. There are an estimated 650,000 caregivers in Massachusetts taking responsibility for an elderly relative, state officials said. Honored were Lawrence Johnson of Sharon, Cheryl DiGravio and Nancy Davidson, both of Marshfield, and Donna Dibbern of Halifax.
BUSINESS BRIEFS: Dedham Medical Associates has been named to the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Honor Roll for excellence in adult and pediatric patient care, earning "With Distinction" designations for both categories.
Christine Smith of Brockton, a registered nurse at New England Sinai Hospital in Stoughton, has been presented with a $500 Woolfson 2007 Making a Difference Award for her dedication to patients and her compassionate manner, hospital officials said. She has been with Sinai since 2000.
Melissa Pillone of Quincy has joined Century 21 Annex Realty in Quincy as a sales associate. She was previously Milton Hospital's activity coordinator.
Paul E. Kandarian can be reached at Kandarian@globe.com
